Untitled Dramione
by Some.Nights3001
Summary: Shopping for decorations for her new loft, Hermione runs into none other than Draco Malfoy. Eventual Dramione. Draco/Hermione
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Hermione moves to London and buys herself a little loft. While out to buy decorations, she comes across none other than Draco Malfoy. Seemingly, he has changed for the better and befriends her. Eventual Dramione. **

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing that correlates to the world of Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: This story is solely event-based. There is no real major plot, just a lot of little plot points. Also, this is set a little bit after Hermione graduates from Hogwarts, but its modern-era. **

**Chapter One**

Hermione quickly grabbed her papers from her desk, trying to stuff them nicely into her brown messenger bag hanging on her right shoulder. She made sure she locked her office door and made her way back to London to board a train to her parent's house. She retrieved her ticket so she remembered, walking down to flush herself into Muggle London.

She walked down the busy streets as taxi cabs and double Decker buses rolled by. Muggles talked on cell phones and gave Hermione no attention. She looked at houses for sale as she walked by, knowing she couldn't live with her parents forever. She had saved and converted enough wizard money to buy a house in Muggle London, she just had to find a good home she could easily move into.

She went to central London to a little real estate kiosk that would help her find a house. She skimmed over the prices, not worried about location as much.

"Nothing new from yesterday…" she mumbled to herself. She sighed and continued on to the train station.

Same routine, different day.

"Honey, I think it's because you are setting yourself too high," her mother said when she got home.

"What do you mean mum?" Hermione asked, hanging her bag up on the coat rack inside of the door.

"You are looking to buy," her mom replied. "You need to rent a space to give yourself a little place for your own until you start a family."

Hermione rolled her eyes when her mother turned around. She knew that buying a house was her only option; she had the money for it, so why not?

"There's a loft space in London for rent, ₤350 a month for everything," her mother continued talking. "It needs work, but it sounds perfect for a first place."

"First of all mom, I'm not setting my standards high," Hermione started. "Buying rather than renting shows more responsibility, and this way, I won't have to move if I want a family."

Her mother gave her a stern look, but said nothing more about the subject. Hermione grabbed a plate of dinner quick and walked upstairs to her bedroom. She placed the food on her desk, getting her wand out and putting it beside the plate. She turned her little TV on, turning it to the movie channels, finding "Pride and Prejudice" most appealing.

She changed into a pair of pajama pants, littered with little orange cats, and a black cami. She got her plate and the remote and climbed into her bed. Crookshanks jumped up and laid against Hermione's leg, purring and falling asleep.

Hermione ate her meal in silence; she thought about work and finding a place. She still was sticking by her 'buy-only' policy, but her mother's suggestion was starting to make more and more sense to her.

She put her plate on her nightstand and turned her lamp on as the sun began to set.

It had been three months since she had heard from Ron or Harry. They had gone to be Auror's and their current mission kept them from writing. Hermione had stayed behind to work as a potions maker at St. Mungo's. She may have been on the bottom of the pedestal at the moment, but she knew if she worked hard she would soon be head potion's maker.

She didn't hear from anyone else from school either, except for the occasional letter from Headmistress McGonnagel. They mostly talked about Hogwarts reconstruction and the Ministry's plans from here on out. Voldemort was gone, but his followers were still out there and he wasn't the only dark wizard.

Hermione finished the movie, barely falling asleep, turning her TV off and getting up, causing Crookshanks to jump up. She got a towel out from the hallway closet and headed towards the bathroom. She ran the hot water and undressed.

She adjusted the water when she stepped into the shower and washed up fast. She wrapped her towel around herself and blow-dried her hair, making it more frizzy than normal. She brushed it out and dried off completely, redressing in her pajamas. She walked her empty plate downstairs and put it in the sink.

Crookshanks snuck in the kitchen to eat his dinner as Hermione walked to her bag and got out the Daily Prophet and her paperwork. She walked in the living room and gave her father a kiss on the cheek, where he sat, reading the local newspaper.

"Honey, I think you should consider on doing what your mother said earlier," he said, not looking up from his paper. Hermione said nothing; she placed the Daily Prophet next to her father. He always enjoyed the wizarding newspaper, even if he didn't understand what was going on.

"Dad, I know I am perfectly capable of buying a house and keeping up the responsibility of owning it," Hermione said from the doorway.

"I know pumpkin," he said, looking up at his daughter. "But owning a house is sometimes too much work for a younger person. Renting is a great way to start out."

Hermione smiled and told him good night, walking back up to her room. She sat at her desk and stared at her paperwork. She had to update the elixir to heal simple compound fractures, but her mind halted her. She pondered for a while as she heard her parents make their way to bed. She got up and opened her little window, letting a nice breeze run into her room. She leaned on the sill and thought about her housing situation. Should she stick with her original plan? The market for real estate wasn't booming like she had hoped in the Muggle world, and she didn't want to live in the world she had grown to love. Renting would be faster, easier, and cheaper.

She pushed her paperwork aside and retrieved her laptop her parents bought for her a couple months before. While she had no use of it in the wizard world, it was perfect for her in the Muggle world. She didn't have a cell phone, so a laptop was her only real way of staying in tune with world news.

Besides, she didn't have any Muggle friends to talk on the phone with anyways.

She brought up her Internet browser and searched the real estate tab. The same houses were up for sale, but she clicked the check box on the 'sale' button. A whole new list of apartments and houses came up that she could rent. She scrolled down the pages, making excuses for not looking into all the places.

She had reached the last page and sighed, closing out of the browser and shutting the laptop.

She crawled back up into bed, shutting the lamp off as she lay down. She waited for a couple minutes, hoping an owl would perch at her window, bearing letters from her two best friends, but nothing but the wind intruded her room.

She rolled over onto her side and fell asleep.

When Hermione woke up the next morning, it was like any other day: get up, get dressed, brush hair, brush teeth, put her shoes on, grab her bag, and grab breakfast and the Daily Prophet on the way to work.

She got to her office thirty minutes before schedule so she could enjoy the paper and her breakfast.

She mulled over paperwork for hours afterwards, still trying to update elixirs for the hospital. Lunchtime gave her a small break for relaxation, but she had a headache before the clock struck one.

"Why am I getting all these headaches?" Hermione asked herself, rubbing her eyes and then holding her head. She stood up and locked her office up, and went down to her boss's office. She knocked four times fast and waited for the door to open.

When the door did open, she walked into the rather large office. Her boss, Mr. Eros McMillin, sat behind his desk, fiddling with Muggle contraptions with his wand.

"Hello Ms. Granger!" he said, looking up with a gigantic smile across his face. She smiled back through her headache.

"Good afternoon sir," she said, sitting down at one of the two chairs in front of his desk.

"What may I do today for you Ms. Granger?" he went back to his work, adding a charm of flying to a child's airplane toy.

"Sir, I haven't been feeling the greatest today," Hermione honestly said. "I was wondering if I could have the clearance to go back home for the day."

Mr. McMillin looked back up at her with a concerned look.

"Ms. Granger, you have never once asked for a day off, nor to leave early," he said, his cheery tone never leaving his voice. "I fully entrust your own judgment. Of course you may leave early, and I applaud you for asking permission first. Go ahead and go get some rest." He smiled again at her.

"Thank you sir," Hermione said, smiling back and standing up. She went back to her office and gathered her stuff up. She locked everything up and left back into Muggle London.

She got home about forty-five minutes later, head still hurting. Her parents were still at work, so she decided to just take some medicine for her head and lay down on the couch.

She turned the TV on to the movie channels again, this time picking a romantic comedy she had never heard of. She lost track of the time, and was almost asleep when her dad walked into the living room.

"Pumpkin, what's wrong?" he asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Dad, I'm not a child," she said groggily. "And I have a headache."

"Did you take anything for it?" her father asked, grabbing the remote and sitting in his chair. Hermione nodded from the couch and sat up.

"What were you doing when it happened?" her father continued to ask questions.

"I was reading my paperwork," she responded.

"May need glasses," her father almost mumbled, fixing his glasses himself. "Unless there's a spell to fix your eyes."

Hermione thought in her mind that there wasn't a spell for it, so she knew that going to see a Muggle eye doctor would have to do.

"Do you have Dr. Hassen's phone number?" she asked. Her dad got his wallet out and handed her a business card. Hermione walked into the kitchen, where her mother was putting a few bags of groceries away, and picked up the phone. She dialed the number and made an appointment with the secretary for the next day. She hung the phone back up.

"Eye appointment?" her mother asked before she could get through the doorway.

"Yes, my eyes were hurting today," Hermione replied.

"Your father was your age when he had to get glasses," her mother kept talking, stalling Hermione out even more.

"Mom, can you tell that guy I want to rent that loft?" she changed the subject, silencing her mom.

"Of course I can sweetie," she responded, putting the last of the groceries away. "What changed your mind?"

"I don't know," Hermione lied; she would never admit that her original plans weren't as great as she thought.

"Call me down when dinner's ready," Hermione said, leaving the kitchen and going upstairs to her room. She gave Crookshanks a quick couple pets on the head and then grabbed a towel. She cleaned out the litter box in her bathroom and started up a shower. She got in and got clean, her headache slowly subsiding. She changed into a pair of sweatpants and a cami, pulling her hair back into a messy bun. She wasn't looking forward to having to go to an eye appointment, but if it turned out it wasn't her eyes, that was one less thing to worry about.

What else could possibly go wrong?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary/Disclaimer: All in first chapter!**

**Chapter Two**

Hermione woke up to her alarm buzzing the next morning. She groaned; today was filled with eye exams, ones she didn't want to take.

She got changed into a pair of blue jeans and a white V-neck shirt and fixed her hair back into a ponytail. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar and a bottle of water, and then made sure Crookshanks had food and water as well. She ate her breakfast quick, noticing a note on the table:

'Hermione, Mr. Sanders said to meet him at the loft in London on Whitechapel Road at one so he can show you the loft. Love, Mom.'

Hermione crumpled the note up and threw it away. She grabbed her bag and left for the train station. She got to the eye doctor's office in London fifteen minutes before her appointment, so she checked in and waited.

"Ms. Granger?" the doctor came out and asked for her. She stood up and went through the door the doctor held open for her. They walked back to his exam room, to the eye test machine.

"Okay Ms. Granger, I want you to look into this machine and read me the lines that I give you," he ordered politely. Hermione did just that, waiting for him to tell her.

"Lines two, three, five, and eight," he said. Hermione focused on the letters.

"A, G, H, J, I," She started reading. "Y, Z, T, U, V. R, T, E…uhm, W?"

"Keep trying," the doctor said. "The next line."

"I, A, uhm, E, D," her head was starting to hurt and her eyes kept unfocusing on the letters.

The doctor stopped her and made a few quick notes on his paper.

He had Hermione do a couple more tests and finally laid down the news:

"Your eyesight isn't incredibly bad Ms. Granger, but I'm afraid you will still need to get glasses."

Hermione's gut wrenched. One thing she hoped she would never have to get she now was forced to receive.

"I'm going to work on your prescription, go ahead and pick out a pair of frames," he motioned to the walls lined with fake glasses. He got up and went into his little office as Hermione stood up and started looking.

She may have been intelligent, but she had no idea what she was doing. She looked over a couple shelves, carefully choosing frames to try on. The first couple pairs she decided were too old fashioned, even for her. The next set she decided to try on were bulky black ones.

'Way too big for my head,' she thought, quickly putting them back and looking at more. She finally decided to try on a pair of thicker rimmed black glasses, ones she was trying not to do put on at all. She looked in the mirror and was pleasantly surprised to find she liked them the best. She brought them back to her chair and waited for the doctor, who came back out shortly afterwards.

"These ones?" he double-checked with her. She nodded and he took them.

"Alright, just come back in about fifteen minutes at the front desk and you can pick them up there," the doctor said, giving her one last smile. Hermione left the room and went out to the waiting room. She didn't have anywhere else to be on the Saturday day, so she decided just to wait in the waiting room.

She picked up a magazine laying on the stand beside her to pass the time. The fifteen minutes ticked by slowly, but right on time, the doctor appeared behind the lady at the desk and handed her a black glasses case. Hermione stood up and walked over to the desk; the smiling lady handed her glasses over to her along with a little slip of paper:

'To wear for everyday use, especially for reading,' it said.

She had to wear them almost all day. She sighed in defeat, knowing the day just got worse. She walked out of the office and took the glasses out, putting them on. Her eyes went funky on her; she wasn't used to the prescription yet.

They finally focused and she looked up at Big Ben: twelve thirty. She started heading towards the loft, stopping to grab a quick lunch. She got to Whitechapel Road at about twelve fifty, where she saw Mr. Sanders standing in front of a tall building.

"Hello Ms. Granger," he greeted her with a smile. She smiled back, wanting to get this over with.

"Hi Mr. Sanders," she greeted him back.

"Ready to look at the loft?"

Hermione nodded and Mr. Sanders got out a key from his pants pocket. He led her into the building.

The main lobby was small and nothing to talk about. There was a little, tattered-up loveseat against the left wall. The elevator sat further back on the right hand side beside the emergency door leading to the stairs.

Mr. Sanders and Hermione got in the elevator; he pressed the eight button and the elevator started moving. The two remained silent; the elevator door opened up and Mr. Sanders led Hermione to the only door on the left side of the hallway. He unlocked it and let Hermione step inside.

The loft was large and very open. There were four columns within the main room, with two doors on the right side. She continued to walk inside, looking up and around. The floors were light gray cement, the walls were old floral wallpaper, and the lights looked like they came straight out of the 50's.

"It needs a bit of updating if you want to, but it is what it is," Mr. Sanders said. He went over to the first door and opened it. Hermione walked over and stepped inside; it was a small cozy bathroom. The floors were white tile; the walls were also white tile, with three rows of check board black tile along the middle. The mirror above the sink was cracked and streaked, needing heavy replacement. The toilet was still in good shape, but it needed resealed down on the floor.

"The shower still works too, it just needs a new head and sometimes the hot water goes out in it," Mr. Sanders said as Hermione took a quick look in the shower.

"The only room left is the bedroom," Mr. Sanders said, leading Hermione out and into the other room.

The bedroom wasn't shabby; the floors were old, scratched up hardwood, the walls were old wallpaper, peeling off. There was a bed frame in the room, rusted up.

"No one's lived here in years, but I've been trying to keep up with it," Mr. Sanders said. "Everyone would rather have the apartments that I added in two years ago."

"How much a month?" Hermione asked.

"I'm willing to do ₤250 for an old friend, with no deposit because I trust you to be careful," Mr. Sanders answered.

Hermione walked back out into the main room and thought. She may never get another opportunity like this.

"I'll take it," she finally decided. Mr. Sanders faltered for words for a second. Hermione got her little bag and got out the money.

"I already have enough for you for the first month," she said, holding out the money.

"Let me make you a deal," Mr. Sanders said. "I'll waive the rent if you fix up the apartment. I'll come by once a month and give it a good look."

"I can try Mr. Sanders," Hermione said, knowing very well magic could solve most of the problems, and money would solve the rest.

"You can move in whenever you want Ms. Granger, I just need you to sign a contract," Mr. Sanders said, handing her a key. "But that can wait until you come back."

He left the room as Hermione took another look around. She decided to head back home and give her parents her news.

She didn't have much to move in: her bed was the main thing, along with her clothes, and all of Crookshanks things.

She boarded her train and arrived home.

"I'm home," she said as she walked through the door. Her mom quickly walked through the doorway from the kitchen.

"Awe darling," she said, seeing Hermione's glasses.

"I have good news mom," Hermione switched the subject. "I have my own place now."

Hermione's mom shrieked in delight.

"Wonderful!" she said. "If you need help packing I can help."

"Mom, remember, magic," Hermione said, motioning to her little pink bag.

"I know honey, it just always slips my mind," her mom said. "I'm going to go tell your father."

Hermione started up the steps as her mother went in the living room to talk to Hermione's dad.

Hermione whisked out her wand and retrieved her suitcase. She unzipped it on her bed and headed for her closet. She grabbed her clothes, hangers and all, and carefully placed them in the suitcase; like her little bag, it had infinite space. She went into her bathroom and cleaned out Crookshank's littler box, sending it to the suitcase with a spell. She grabbed all her makeup and brushes and hair products, sending those away as well. She Accio-ed Crookshanks food and water dishes. She went back to her bedroom and carefully moved her suitcase by the door. She got the sheets off her bed and placed them in the suitcase.

She zipped up her suitcase and grabbed her laptop, throwing it in her messenger bag. She looked around at her bare room and sighed. She grabbed her suitcase and lugged it downstairs by the front door. She went to the hallway closet by the kitchen door and got Crookshanks carrier. She went into the living room: her father was in his usual spot, her mother was sitting on the couch, and Crookshanks was lounging on the window sill.

"Already packed up pumpkin?" her father asked.

"Yeah."

Her mom pouted a little.

"My little baby is all grown up," she said, dabbing her eyes before tears could escape.

"Mom, I'll be thirty minutes away," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I know honey, but you are my only child!"

Hermione looked at her mom like she was crazy.

"I know mom, but I won't be far." She looked at her dad, who smiled at her.

"Do you need us to help you move anything?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Hermione said. "I'll just buy anything I need so I can always have it."

"Are you leaving today honey?"

Hermione nodded.

"I need to meet Mr. Sanders to sign the contract and I can start fixing the place up."

"Make sure you take the mattress with you so you can sleep on something."

Hermione nodded and went back upstairs; she grabbed the mattress and took it back down and into her suitcase. She picked up Crookshanks and put the reluctant cat in his carrier. She kissed her mother and father both on the cheek, grabbing her suitcase and bag, and leaving.

The train ride to London was like any other day, but once she arrived in the city, a whole new adventure took hold. She walked back to the apartment building and up to her loft. She unlocked the door and sat her suitcase and bag down. She let Crookshanks out; he ran out and hid. She walked back out after another look around and locked the door behind her. She walked down to Mr. Sander's office, knocking. She heard the approval to enter; she opened the door to a smiling Mr. Sanders.

"Ms. Granger!" he exclaimed, standing up quickly to shake her hand. She shook it and he brought up a paper.

"Here is the contract Ms. Granger," he said, sitting back down. "I know you enjoy reading through things before signing them, so take your time."

Hermione skimmed over the contract, one and a half pages, all ready with Mr. Sander's signature. She grabbed a pen and signed it, handing it back.

"Thank you Mr. Sanders," she said.

"I'll be to visit in about a month," he said. He told her goodbye and she left to go back up to her loft. Crookshanks was still hiding when she got there; she got her suitcase and bag and walked them into the bedroom. She got her wand out and whisked the old bed frame away. She opened her suitcase and laid the mattress out against the far wall below the window. She got the sheets out and threw them on quickly, knowing she wouldn't have the sleep like that for long. She got her clothes out on the hangers, and she hung them up on the curtain rod on the window.

"I'll have to get a dresser," Hermione said out loud to herself. She finished hanging her clothes up and she dragged her suitcase out to the living area. She retrieved Crookshanks dishes, sitting them on the floor by the main door. She got out the litter box, taking it into the bathroom and sitting it on the floor. She magicked cat litter in it and left the room.

She stuffed her suitcase into the furthest corner of the room and looked around. She would need kitchen supplies for sure, but she would worry about that later. She got some paper out and a Quick Notes Quill and started making a list:

"Refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave, table, chairs, couch, coffee table, TV, washer, dryer, bed frame, dresser, new floors, paint for living room, kitchen, and bedroom, new showerhead, new sink, fix the toilet, new light fixtures and miscellaneous decorations," she listed. The Quill and paper fell into her hands and she put the paper in her pocket and the Quill back into her bag.

She could fix most of the problems with magic; the other things she would need to buy with the money she saved by renting instead of buying a place. She filled Crookshanks food and water dishes up before leaving to go out and start shopping.

First she visited the home improvement store. She went straight for the paint; she could always use magic to do the job, but Hermione loved to paint walls herself. She looked at all the colors, grabbing three galleons of white paint for the bottom layer, and deciding on a light blue for the living area and kitchen, and a pastel pink for her bedroom. She paid for her paint, rollers, brushes, and some tape and put them in her bag when no one was looking.

Next she went to the appliance store; she looked at everything she needed to, deciding to save some of her money back and buy just a fridge and microwave for the time being. The fridge she chose was a stainless steel, French door style with a huge bottom freezer on it. The microwave was the same stainless steel to match. She paid for both items and set the delivery date on the fridge for the next day, and told the cashier to just send the microwave along with it.

She went to the décor store next. Flowers, vases, lights, and other things busied the store. She took her time, giving herself a budget. She eventually settled on a couple things: she first picked out three light fixtures. The first one was a simple ceiling light for her bedroom. The second was a sconed wall light for the bathroom, and the third was a beautiful, expensive chandelier for the living room area. She also got a long curtain rod and dark blue curtains for the living area. She paid for those, marking the furniture store the last place on her list.

She stopped though at a little diner to eat dinner. She sat at the booth, ordering a coffee. She ordered her food when the waitress brought her drink out, letting her coffee cool and staring out the window.

She never saw anyone she knew out on the London streets; she didn't have friends before Hogwarts, and the friends she made there were gone away from the city.

The diner started emptying out. The waitress brought her food out as the people sitting in the booth Hermione was facing stood up. Hermione took a bite of her food, looking up as the people shuffled out.

Draco Malfoy stared right back at her from two booths down.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary/Disclaimer: In first chapter!**

**Chapter Three**

The minutes turned into hours as the two stared at each other; Hermione kept her shocked face, and Draco's face remained calm as he smirked. Hermione gulped as he stood up, Muggle newspaper under his left arm and his coffee mug in his right hand. He sat down across from Hermione in the booth and Hermione felt her heart race with anger.

"What are you doing here?" she sneered at him as he threw the newspaper down on the table and took a sip of his coffee.

"To see you of course," he sneered right back.

"Don't flatter yourself," Hermione scoffed, sitting back and crossing her arms. Draco snorted into his mug as he took another drink.

"As if I would really be here to see scum like you," he said. Hermione tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

"Well then why _are _you here, especially with a Muggle newspaper?" she asked. Draco's face drained of color.

"I'll have you know…um…" he stuttered out.

"You got kicked out didn't you?" Hermione felt powerful and evil.

"I did," Draco said, sadness seeping off his voice. "The only place people don't know me is in the Muggle world. I don't have a reputation here."

Hermione started to feel the deep pit of regret in her stomach for jeering at him.

"Sorry," she practically whispered, playing with her food. Draco stayed quiet except for an occasional sip of coffee. He sat down his empty mug before he spoke next.

"It's no big deal."

'Still has all his pride,' Hermione thought.

"Where are you living?" she asked.

"Nowhere," Draco responded. "Well, in a shabby motel, but still."

"Oh," was all Hermione could think of saying. She took a little bite of food and wiped her mouth.

"Well, Granger, this was nice," Draco said, the sarcastic tone back in his voice. He stood up and turned to walk out.

"Wait," Hermione said before she could stop herself. Draco stopped a foot away and spun around to face her.

"Do you have anything you're doing today?" she asked.

"No."

Hermione licked her lips.

"Come with me to get furniture for my loft," she said. "I'll pay for your coffee."

Draco raised his eyebrow and smirked again. He sat back down.

"You have a deal," he said. Hermione gave him a small smile to which he didn't give one back. Hermione finished her food and her coffee and paid for her and Draco's things. They stood up and Hermione led Draco to the furniture store.

"The only things here I am getting is a bed frame to fit a Queen sized mattress and a couch," she said. Draco nodded as Hermione began looking. She caught Draco looking a few times too, but he never voiced his suggestions.

She looked around at the bed frames first, picking a cheaper one for sake of time and money. She had a bit more fun looking at couches though, picking one based on her personal style.

Draco, of course, kept picking out old-fashioned green couches to which Hermione shot down immediately. She narrowed her decision down to two couches: a smaller, fluffier tan couch and a sleek black couch.

"I'd go with the black one," Draco said.

"Of course you would," Hermione rolled her eyes. She looked at the price tags again, debating.

"Ok fine, I'm getting the black one," she made up her mind. Draco smirked a little as Hermione went up to pay for it. The delivery date on it was set for three days, so Hermione went and bought a hot pink beanie bag seat for the wait.

"Thanks for coming with me," Hermione told Draco as they walked down the street.

"Getting rid of me already?" Draco asked. Hermione stopped and turned to look at him, confused.

"Not if you don't want me to," she said without thinking. The air remained quiet between the two as they stared.

"I'd much prefer not to leave," Draco said loud enough for Hermione to hear.

Hermione was shocked to say the least of what Draco had become. A year ago he would have humiliated her and mocked her, but now, he didn't want to leave her side.

"Fine," she said softly. "I am going to go get take-out and go back to my loft."

She started to walk again and Draco followed, running to walk by her side.

'Take-out?" he asked.

"It's a term for when you buy Chinese food and you take it home," Hermione explained, avoiding looking at Draco. She got no response from the blonde.

She walked into the Chinese restaurant and explained to Draco what each dish was on the take-out menu. Hermione let Draco order first and she ordered her stuff.

They waited on two chairs while they put together the take-out boxes. The lady brought it out to them and Hermione paid then. Hermione led Draco to the building and up the elevator. He looked out of place in a Muggle building.

"I need some help fixing up some things if you want to help," she said. "Most of it with magic, but I want to paint the walls by hand."

"Sounds fun," Draco said with a smirk.

"I already regret this," Hermione mumbled as she unlocked her door. She let Draco enter first; she closed the door behind her.

She sat the take-out down on the floor, telling Draco he could go ahead and sit down and eat. He sat cross-legged on the floor and started opening the boxes, letting them cool.

Hermione sat across from him on the floor and magicked plates for them. Hermione scooped out her white rice and some sushi. She put soy sauce on her sushi and rice and started eating as Draco continued to carefully scoop out food to put on his plate.

"It needs a lot of work," Hermione started a conversation, referring to her loft.

"This definitely beats eating in a little motel room," Draco said, looking down at his food and eating. Hermione simply smiled at him.

"What do you need help with magic-wise?" Draco continued the conversation.

"I need to replace the floors after I paint," Hermione answered, "and there are some pipes that need replaced. The toilet needs to be sealed to the floor better, and there is an issue with the shower apparently where the water refuses to stay warm."

"Easy stuff," Draco said. "I can fix the pipes by hand if you buy me the stuff to do it."

"You'll have to tell me what you need," Hermione said, the shock coming back to her face. Draco nodded, taking slow bites of food.

They finished their food and Hermione disposed of everything with her wand, plates and all. She stretched and got out her little pink bag, retrieving all the stuff she had bought to the amazement of Draco.

"I didn't know you could have bags like that," he said.

"It's a charm," Hermione said, getting out the paint galleon by galleon.

Draco got up and came over to her to investigate the paint.

"Nice choices, but green would have been better," he said in his 'know-it-all' tone. Hermione snorted.

"Blue is just fine," she said.

"No red for your Gryffindor pride?" Draco raised his eyebrow. Hermione looked at him, her own eyebrow raised. She didn't respond to him this time either.

"Wanna see the pipes in the bathroom that need replaced?" she asked. Draco nodded and she led him into the room. He rolled his sleeves up and squatted under the sink to look. He explained to her what he needed and she made a mental list.

"How do you know what you need so well?" she asked as he stood.

"I've lived in the Muggle world enough to learn," he answered.

"Do you even have any money?" she asked, regretting it right away on terms it might be crossing the line.

"I take up some side jobs, like fixing sinks and such," he answered.

"Easy with magic," Hermione said, walking out the main room.

"Not so fast Granger, I don't use magic much anymore," Draco said with his infamous grin.

"Right," Hermione joked. Draco didn't say anything, and Hermione naturally felt a bit guilty.

"Wanna help me paint a little?" she asked. "I need to paint on two layers of white on every wall but the bathroom ones."

"I can try," Draco said, never having painted before. Hermione excused herself for a moment and went into her bedroom. She changed into an old white T shirt and made sure her hair was up and secure.

"I don't have anything to give you to put on," Hermione said as she walked back. She saw Draco shrug and roll his sleeves up further as she grabbed a galleon of white paint. She opened it and mixed it around a little, pouring a good amount into the rolling bin. She took it over to the wall and grabbed the paintbrushes and rollers.

"First we need to put some tape up so no paint gets on the outlets and the ceilings and floors," she said, getting the blue tape out. She showed Draco what to do and they shared the tape; the room was done in no time. Hermione then showed Draco how to use the rollers and paintbrushes, and put him to work with the roller. She went through behind him and got the spots she could reach that a roller wouldn't be able to cover, like beside the outlets.

"I can't reach the top corners though," Hermione said, looking up at the places she missed. "Or where the ceiling meets the wall anyways."

Draco took the paintbrush from her without word or thought and dipped it in the paint. He stood on his tiptoes and carefully painted the spots Hermione couldn't. He turned around when he was done and handed the paint brush back, inches away from her. He turned his attention to the next wall and started painting it. Hermione stood in silence for a second, staring at his back. She felt her face burn up from the closeness they had just shared, but she tried to shake it off. She went behind him again and got the spots again, and just as before, Draco painted the top crease.

They had finished the first layer of paint all the way around the room so the only walls left were the ones in Hermione's bedroom.

"Let's do the second layer and then call it a night," Hermione said, looking at the setting sun from the window.

"Sounds good," Draco said, touching the first wall slightly, finding it to be dry. He started the second coat right away and they continued their ritual for the second time around the room.

"If I had a place to put you I would say you could stay here, but I don't have my couch yet," Hermione said.

'You've been doing a lot of not-thinking lately,' she thought, making her turn red.

She took out her wand and took down the lights in the rooms, putting up the two new ones before it turned completely pitch black outside.

"Looks better in here a lot," Draco looked around.

"Yeah, it really does," Hermione said with a small smile.

"Well, I'm gonna go Granger," he said, heading slowly for the door.

"Ok," Hermione simply said, and then kicked herself. "Wait, do you want to come back over and help tomorrow, but the new color coats on?"

Draco tilted his head to the left and half smiled at her.

"Sure thing," he said. "What time?"

"Anytime after nine," Hermione responded. She didn't have work the next day, so she decided to sleep in.

"Good night," Draco said, opening the door.

Before Hermione could answer back, he shut the door and left the building.


End file.
